Basketball Offense: 10 Bad Habits To Avoid!

In order for basketball players to be successful on the offensive end of the court they must develop good habits. At the same time, they should avoid or eliminate bad habits. As simple as this sounds, players have a tendency to continually repeat their bad habits on the basketball court.

Bad habits are developed the same way good habits are - through repetition. The key then, for coaches, players, and even parents, is to practice the good habits and eliminate the bad habits. This occurs during in-season and out-of-season practices and work-outs.

By avoiding the ten bad habits listed below, players and teams will be much more successful on the offensive end of the court.

1. Focusing too much on the one-on-one aspect of offense, rather than the team aspect. Players that are more concerned with their individual game hurt the overall success of their team.

2. Standing around and watching the action, rather than being a part of the action. Players should not be spectators of the game. They must always be involved and moving, even when they don't have the basketball.

3. Looking to shoot before looking to pass. Players must always be aware of their teammates and the defensive players on the court. If a teammate is open and has a better scoring opportunity, then the pass must be made to them.

4. Looking for only one option on a set play. This makes the defenders' job much easier. Players must always look for various scoring options on their set plays. If the first option that opens up leads to a good scoring opportunity, then the pass should be made. Otherwise, the players should look for other options.

5. Telegraphing their pass to a teammate. These passes are easier for the defensive players to read and possibly steal. Players should use eye, head and ball fakes before passing the basketball.

6. Committing a cheap and foolish foul after making a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes in basketball. When it happens on the offensive end of the court, players should hustle back and play good, strong defense to make up for it. They should avoid committing fouls out of frustration.

7. Using fakes and moves that their teammates are not ready for or familiar with. Players must play within themselves on the court. New moves and fakes can be worked on during practice - not the game.

8. Being unaware of how much time is left on the game clock or shot clock. Players must always know how much time is left on the shot clock during each possession. They must also be aware of how much time remains at the end of each quarter, the half, and the game. This is every player’s responsibility, not just the point guard's and coach's.

9. Losing their concentration during an offensive possession. Players MUST ALWAYS stay focused and concentrate when their team has the basketball. They should know what their responsibility is at all times and also follow the action of their teammates.

10. Not playing at game speed. Players should always cut and move at game speed - which is also how they should practice their offensive plays. Failing to do this disrupts the timing of their teammates and the overall flow of the offense.

Type of Offense

There are only two types of offense: free-lance and controlled. In a free-lance offense, players make their own patterns, depending upon the defensive deployment and the ability of the opponents.


Free-lance is not as free, or uncontrolled, as the name implies. All two-on-two and three-on-three plays should always be part of your drills. Controlled offense is a set patterned offense. Both types must fall into one of the following classification, based on the position of the offensive players in relation to the basket and the defensive players guarding them:


Five Offensive Players Outside –
Four Offensive Players Outside and One Inside –
Three Offensive Players Outside and Two Inside –
Two Offensive Players Outside and Three Inside –
One Offensive Player Outside and Four Inside –


Offenses that begin from this structure are a 3-2 (wide) and a five-man weave. Normally this is a four-man weave system or a single type of offense in which the corner men are approximately 18 or 19 feet from the basket. Three offenses start from this structure:


A double-post places the two larger men in closer to the basket than the other three. The 3-2 offense may have three front men moving while the two inside men are stationary in close to the basket.
A 1-3-1 offense uses a tandem pivot, one high and one low.
An overload offense overloads one side of the court, passing the ball to the side that has only one player and having a teammate who was away from the ball cut off a post man toward the ball.


This is a standard 2-3 offense in which the forwards are within eighteen feet of the basket. This offense has four players close to the basket such as a stack offense which usually forces a zone to play you man-to-man.